This invention relates generally to basketball score counters, particularly to a basketball score counter, which counts basketball shots by using two sets of photoelectric sensors for sensing the route of basketball shots.
For counting valid shots and scores during a basketball game, a sensing rod 11 in the form of a microswitch shown in FIG. 1 was disposed under a basket hoop 12 in such a way that a pitched basketball flying through the basket hoop 12 would be collided with the sensing rod 11 and judged by a score counter as a valid shot.
It is generally all right to sense valid shots with the above said microswitch under normal conditions. However, malfunctions of the score counter may occur in the case of a reverse throw or rebounds. Furthermore, the mechanical microswitch is inevitably getting elastically fatigue gradually or worn-out in the long run.
To overcome the above drawback, a sensing device equipped with a pair of photoelectric transmitting/receiving elements has been developed for sensing and judging basketball shots, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein a set of transmitting/receiving sensors 13 is arranged above or below the basket hoop 12 respectively. When a basketball is thrown into the basket hoop 12, a transmitter 131 of the set of transmitting/receiving sensors 13 projects light on the basketball and the light is reflected and received by a receiver 132 of the set of sensors 13, so that it is possible in this way to detect whether a basketball has been thrown into the basket hoop 12 or not. Nevertheless, the set of sensors 13 located below the basket hoop 12 may be interfered by the net 14 to reflect the transmitted light back to the receiver and cause the score counter to misjudge basketball shots.
The primary object of this invention is to provide a score counter by sensing the route of basketball shots, wherein a pair of photoelectric sensors is installed at respective positions below an inner rim of the basket hoop for detecting basketball valid shots. Such an arrangement is capable of overcoming the basket net interference to the photoelectric sensors for avoiding malfunctions and discriminating the correct route after a basketball is thrown into the basket hoop.
For more detailed information regarding advantages or features of this invention, at least an example of preferred embodiment will be elucidated below with reference to the annexed drawings.